Medicina intensiva
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Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome may require high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) levels, though the optimum level remains to be established. Several clinical trials have compared high PEEP levels versus conventional PEEP. Overall, although high PEEP levels improve oxygenation and are safe, they do not result in a significant reduction of the mortality rates. ⋯ Five studies have explored this latter scenario. Unfortunately, all of them have small sample sizes and have used different means to determine optimum PEEP. It is therefore necessary to conduct studies of sufficient sample size to compare the treatment of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, using a protective ventilation strategy with high PEEP guided by the characteristics of lung mechanics and ventilation with the protocol proposed by the ARDS Network.
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Medicines reconciliation plays a key role in patient safety. However, there is limited data available on how this process affects critically ill patients. In this study, we evaluate a program of reconciliation in critically ill patients conducted by the Intensive Care Unit's (ICU) pharmacist. ⋯ The incidence and characteristics of reconciliation errors in ICU are similar to those published in non-critically ill patients, and they affect drugs with high clinical significance. Our data support the importance of the stablishment of medication reconciliation proceedings in critically ill patients. The ICU's pharmacist could carry out this procedure adequately.
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Letter Comparative Study
Not too much hyperextension: Airway positioning using magnetic resonance imaging.